Greg Hodnett Wins PA Speedweek

By Brad Vores

It was a long, hot, grueling 28th edition of Pennsylvania Sprint Speedweek as Greg Hodnett captured the week-long Speedweek championship. Despite not winning any of the 10 feature events, Hodnett’s fifth career PA Speedweek title came with mostly consistent finishes despite dropping from two events. Hodnett clinched the title by a mere two points over Danny Dietrich, with Lucas Wolfe third, Freddie Rahmer fourth and Ryan Smith fifth, to end the week.

Speedweek kicked off Friday, June 29, where Trey Starks won at Williams Grove as Danny Dietrich got the Saturday night win last weekend at Lincoln. Then on Sunday, it was Ohio racer Cole Duncan taking the win at Path Valley.

Monday night, Speedweek was back at Lincoln Speedway where it was Dietrich taking his second win of the series in exciting fashion as he beat NASCAR star Kyle Larson for the win trailed by Rico Abreu, Lucas Wolfe and Ryan Smith.

Wednesday night saw Port Royal Speedway’s first of two Speedweek shows, and it was Lucas Wolfe taking the big win ahead of Danny Dietrich, Trey Starks, Spencer Bayston and Tony Stewart. Harrisonville’s Mike Wagner finished 15th, while son Logan dropped out after mud bent the side panel on his top wing. He was credited with 18th.

Perhaps the most exciting race of Speedweek came in Friday’s $12,000-to-win Mitch Smith Memorial at Williams Grove Speedway as Lance Dewease was three laps from victory when his car developed a top wing issue. As he said, he “used up” the track and made it difficult for anyone to get around over the final laps and he took the win over Greg Hodnett, Danny Dietrich, Freddie Rahmer and Rico Abreu. Logan Wagner didn’t qualify for Friday’s show.

In another thrilling show Saturday at Port Royal, Danny Dietrich came out on top of a wild three-car battle for his third Speedweek win over Brock Zearfoss, Lance Dewease, Greg Hodnett and Ryan Smith. Logan Wagner was 11th and Mike Wagner 12th.

The finale Sunday at Selinsgrove Speedway came down the wire in dramatic fashion with Lucas Wolfe taking the lead from Danny Dietrich with two laps to go. That pass along with a sixth place finish by Greg Hodnett is what the title came down to. Dietrich was second to Wolfe followed by Blane Heimbach, Freddie Rahmer and Jason Shultz.

James Lichliter was the Mason-Dixon Limited Late Model feature winner Saturday at Hagerstown Speedway over Barry Miller, Craig Wagaman, Devin Hart and Justin Weaver, while Craig Parrill was the Pure Stock winner and Billy Ecton won the Hobby Stocks.